By the Moonlit Forest
by ShadowFlame23
Summary: Original work! Humans try to destroy a nymphs forest, what will become those fools?...I'm not very good at summaries.


**This is just something I wrote for my creative writing class, I hope y'all enjoy it. There are only slight mentions of mythology.**

**Disclaimer: If you see anything you recognize I don't own it!**

_**By the Moonlit Forest**_

Laughter echoed through the sunbathed forest as two figures raced and danced through the trees. Hours later the figures finally collapsed in a beautiful meadow lined with rose bushes of every color. Soft luscious green grass softened their fall as they collapsed side by side laughing hysterically. Slowly the figures calmed and relaxed, cuddling together as they did. The young woman's raven color hair contrasted sharply as it spread over the young man and the grass beside them as they slept.

As the sky turned red and the forest darkened the woman awoke quickly sensing the change in her forest. She flew up as her golden eyes took in all around her.

"Zane! You must leave this place," she cried out to the fair haired man. The desperation in her voice must have startled him, as he opened his sparkling emerald eyes immediately only to see her running towards the edge of the glade.

"My love, tell me what has you so shaken." She turned at the sound of his deep voice aware that he could see the tears streaming down her face. He started slightly at the mixture of sadness and anger swirling in her eyes.

"You must leave my forest elfling. It is not safe for one such as you here. Those who seek to damage my forest will regret provoking me," her voice was cold and hard, so unlike the woman he had come to love.

"Ayrena, I will return on the morrow." A smile graced her features as she faded into her forest. She held back a scream as she felt another part of her forest die. She seemed to glide as she hurried to the area where she had felt the trees die.

A distressed cry left her as she gazed upon the damage these monsters had done to her home. The men smiled as they heard the cry turning to face the distressed nymph. Lost in her grief, Ayrena did not notice one of the men sneaking up behind her until the rope slid over her head.

Ayrena allowed her distress to fade into a burning rage as she felt the rope tighten around her. She turned her attention from the mangled trees to the leader of the men.

"Have you any idea of what you have done," her usually comforting and kind voice cut through the man like and icy whip as she struggled to free herself from her bindings. "This forest is under my protection as it is my home and I will not allow you to do any more damage here."

"Stupid nymph! We do not want your forest. . . we came here to capture you," the man holding her said.

"You mortals believe that you can have me? You cannot have what you cannot hold." As she spoke she silently called to the predators of the forest, asking them to come to her aid. She had to bite back cries of pain as he men started to beat her. Their fists and feet, belts and knives, slammed into her body again and again forcing her to the edge of consciousness. All throughout this she never let out a noise; no matter how much it hurt she would never allow monsters such as these to hear her cries.

A sense of relief washed over her as she felt her friends surround the men. Wolves and cougars, snakes and falcons, griffins and dark unicorns attacked the men forcing them away from Ayrena.

"Thank you my friends," she whispered pain filling her voice, as the cries of the men disappeared.

"Guardian of the forest, you are in need of sleep. Rest my friend, I will ensure that no others try to enter the forest," the familiar voice of Aiden, the centaur, washed over her. She gave him a small pain-filled smile before drifting into the dark realm of unconsciousness.

The nymph did not awaken even as one of the unicorns carried her deeper into the forest, to the home of the phoenix. The phoenix was the healer of the forest, be it rabbit or snake, unicorn or falcon all received the same treatment. After he had done as much as he could for her he ordered the unicorn to return her to her resting place.

Ayrena woke with the sun's rising three days later startled at how quiet the forest was. There was always some kind of noise in the forest whether it was a robin's song or the wolves hunting cries, but not silence never that. Pain and the events that caused it washed over her as she tried to sit up.

"You should not be awake," a cold voice said to her left. Ayrena allowed a small smile to cross her face.

"I cannot sleep any longer Calanon. I must tend to the forest and rid it of this oppressive silence." The phoenix narrowed his eyes at the stubborn woman; the forest had been silent since that night. All the creatures of the forest had feared for their friends life, not all had faith that she would make it.

"The forest is silent because of you! It has been for three days. We were afraid you would not survive." One of the wolves said agreeing with the phoenix's unspoken thoughts.

"I am sorry for worrying you my friends; I could not allow those monsters to harm the forest any longer, even if I had no defense against them." She said her eyes roaming over the plethora of creatures around her. Ayrena let a bright smile cover her features making all of her friends relax. With some struggle and a lot of pain Ayrena rose to her feet.

Ayrena walked silently, the animals creating a path for her, out of the small clearing. She made her way stumbling and in pain to the center of the forest where her canopied glade offered shelter.

A warm feeling filled her as she entered the glade. She lifted her face to the sky and danced, wishing for the forest to be healed.

Birds sang in joy and unicorns pranced as a golden light spread through the forest from the glade. The Guardian of the forest was alive and well once more. They sang and danced along with her, happy that she was among them once again.

On the outer edge of the forest a lone centaur lay among the mangled trees. A smile crossed his face as the golden light washed through him. He watched as the trees started to heal, returning to their former glory.

All through the forest animals and trees rejoiced as the guardian healed their home. The nymph of the Golden forest was alive and with them once more.

In the mystical glade Ayrena slowed her dance and lowered her face to gaze around her. The trees surrounding the glade hummed with life and glowed with an internal light. Her realm was whole and healthy once more, she listened to the familiar sounds of the forest with a smile.

As the sun reached the middle of the sky, Ayrena returned to Zane's and her clearing. She had washed and changed into different clothing and her raven colored curls swayed around her waist as she entered the clearing.

The smile fell from her face, the clearing felt cold as though it had not been entered in many days. Zane had told her that he would return the next day, but she could tell that he had not been here since she had told him to leave. Fear and worry filled her as she turned and ran through the clearing and took the path to where he always entered the forest.

The closer she got to the place the slower she ran until she was walking slowly. Something horrible had happened up ahead, something that left even the trees cold and unfeeling. As she walked she touched the trees along the path restoring their warmth and life. A flash of silver up ahead had her running as fast as her injuries would allow. She collapsed next to a familiar silver dagger and a small pool of blood.

"Zane," she whispered lifting the dagger gently, worry filled her, Zane would never leave his dagger. It had been a gift from his father just before he had passed on and Zane treasured it.

Ayrena looked at the pool of blood and let out a cry of despair, it was elf blood that much she was sure of. Her eyes widened as she saw a trail of blood leading down the path. Dagger still cradled in her hands she followed the trail hoping her love was safe.

"Please be safe love," she whispered, as she noticed that the trail left the path. She followed the path through the trees, nervous when she noticed that it swerved as though the person was barely conscious.

Ayrena rounded one of the large oaks and cried out. There collapsed at the bottom of the tree was Zane. His normally glowing skin was pale and sickly and his slivery blonde hair was dull and lifeless.

"No! Zane!" she cried rushing to his side. "Zane please open your eyes love." A sob escaped her as his eyes remained closed. She could barely hear his shallow breathing and his pulse was weak. Tears fell from her eyes as she realized that he was dying.

"_NO!_ " She gasped, fiercely wiping away her tears she would not allow him to die. She would take him to Calanon and he would be fine. She sent out a summons for one of the unicorns as she checked for his wound. She found a strip of his shirt, soaked through with blood, tied tightly around his side covering the deep gash. She gathered him in her arms and gently lifted him onto the frightened unicorn.

"Run with the wind my friend, to Calanon," she whispered holding Zane tightly against her. As they rode she took in the forest around her and hoped Calanon would be able to heal her love. For, if Zane died he would take her with him and her magical realm would fade away forever.

As she rode on the back of that unicorn she sent up a silent prayer to her ancestors to allow her love to live, to not take him from her yet.


End file.
